NEW PALTZ — The School of Science and Engineering at the State University of New York at New Paltz will begin its 2005-2006 colloquium series with a lecture, titled “The Einstein File: J. Edgar Hoover’s Secret War Against the World’s Most Famous Scientist,” at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, in the Coykendall Science Building Auditorium.
The speaker, Fred Jerome, will present a lesser-known side of Albert Einstein: a fervent pacifist, socialist and critic of racism who publicly urged witnesses to refuse to testify before the Un-American Activities Committee. Invoking the Freedom of Information Act, Jerome secured the CIA file on Einstein which led to his new book, “The Einstein File.” There, he reveals the price Einstein paid for his social concerns, and underscores the dangers that can arise to the American republic and the rule of law in times of obsession with national security.
“This year is being celebrated as the Einstein centennial,” said David Clark, colloquium chair. “Scientists worldwide are commemorating the 1905 publication of Einstein’s three ground breaking discoveries: Brownian motion; the photo-electric effect; and special relativity. We are pleased to participate in this celebration by hosting a non-technical lecture on Einstein, the man, and his work as a social thinker and reformer.”
Jerome is a veteran journalist and science writer, with articles in dozens of publications, including Newsweek and The New York Times.
Future lectures scheduled for the series are: “Reaching Toward a Useful Arm Replacement” on Nov. 17; “Genetically Engineered Crops and the Environment” on Feb. 9, 2006; “What Caused the Largest Mass Extinction Ever?” on March 2; and “Lyme and Other Tick Borne Diseases: an Integrative Perspective,” on May 4.
The lectures, which are free and open to the public, have been designed for a general scientific audience and are given by leading scientists who are available to meet faculty and students on the days of their visits. They will be preceded by a reception at 3 p.m.
For more information and directions, contact David Clark, associate dean of the School of Science and Engineering, at (845) 257-3728 or visit www.newpaltz.edu/sse.
